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Florida deputy survives getting sucked into storm drain during remarkable rescue
An Escambia County Deputy survived after he was sucked into a storm drain while attempting to rescue a person who was stranded on the side of the road during severe weather Friday morning.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida deputy walked through a flooded street to help a stuck driver before both of them were pulled down into a storm drain, where they traveled some 100 feet in 30 seconds, and remarkably came out the other side seemingly unscathed.
And the entire incident was recorded on the deputy's body-worn camera – and released by the Escambia County, Florida Sheriff's Office.
Escambia County Chief Chip Simmons said in a video that one of his deputy's was on patrol last week helping stranded motorists stuck in rising floodwaters when he was quickly swept beneath the water and into a storm drainage pipe.
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Florida deputy survives getting sucked into storm drain during severe storm
A Florida deputy and another person survived after they got sucked into a storm drain and traveled 100 feet underneath a highway during torrential rain Friday
For nearly 30 seconds, the sound of muffled water could be heard as the duo reportedly traveled nearly 100 feet underneath Highway 98 before resurfacing on the other side of the roadway.
The deputy can be heard quickly calling out what is presumed to be the other person's name, while trying to catch his breath. Moments later, they've found each other and agree to hold onto each other until others can help them.
"Can you [expletive] believe what just happened to us?" the deputy asks the man.
"I almost died," the man said.
In the video, the deputy tells another law enforcement officer that he was trying to help the stranded motorist and had instructed him to walk towards him when the other motorist fell down the storm drain.
Thankfully, according to the video, it appears both the deputy and the man are expected to be OK.
The video ends with the two exchanging a handshake, and one of them noting that this was an "experience for life."